What is really puzzling about the whole argument is that before being an MEP, Ms Cretu was former president Ion Iliescu’s spokesperson. Or, as everyone knows, immediately after the 1989 revolution Iliescu advocated a return to the Soviet fold and even wanted to reinstate the old red-phone with Moscow…

Many peculiar things have been taking place in Romania, Ms Cretu’s stance being just one of them. In 2007, president Basescu selected Mr Vladimir Tismaneanu to head a presidential commission condemning communism. Sadly, Mr Tismaneanu until the ’80s was an important contributor to communist textbooks and dictionaries, where he assessed Ceausescu’s political performance as ‘outstanding’.

Renouncing hard power solutions like the missile shield in favour of ‘soft power’ alternatives, like diplomacy and negotiations, has proven effective so far for the US and the Western world as a whole. The Polish, Czech and other Eastern European leaders are displaying political immaturity and are fast becoming the cry-babies of the Union. It is hard for me to believe, for example, that the Czech and the Poles would feel more confident about their countries’ political stability in the presence of American hardware. If Russians did want to undermine their economies or political stability, the shield wouldn’t provide any protection, as a militarized Iron Curtain did not prevent the Soviet Union from imploding… The cutting of gas supplies in winter and other economic or covert operations could still be successfully undertaken by the Russians against Eastern Europeans if they so intended.

Fortunately for all of us, the Russians these days are concentrating their attention in shoring up their leadership in areas considered by them as their ‘near abroad’, and on protecting their oil and gas supply routes to their Western European customers. Last but not least, the United States needs the help of Russia in order to successfully pressure Iran into giving up its nuclear plans, hence the shelving of the missile shield.

The decision of the US administration, therefore, does not amount to ‘selling the Easties to the Russians’ again, nor does it destabilize the region in any way. To my utter dismay, our elected politicians are doing a wonderful job of destabilizing the countries all by themselves…

About: Spotlight on Geopolitics

Florian Pantazi is an historian and geopolitical consultant. The focus of his research is the European Union's role as a global actor, its influence in Asia and Latin America, as well as the major geopolitical shifts confronting the international community of states. Apart from his interest in European external affairs, he has -- since 1998 -- researched and authored articles on the emergence of China and its geoeconomic agenda ; Turkey's Islamic model of democracy; the Asian and global financial crises; the most recent political evolutions in the Maghreb.

Florian Pantazi holds a Master in Geopolitics and International Relations from Sciences Po Toulouse and an MA in History from the Al.I.Cuza University, Iasi, Romania. Contact: florian.pantazi @ gmail.com Twitter: @Geopolinsider

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